The number of tourists from China visiting Russia increased by 2.5 times in January

Interfax says the number of tourists arriving in Russia from East Asia and the Middle East has increased significantly since the beginning of 2024. Most of these tourists have arrived from China, according to data collected by the mobile operator, Megafon.

According to the company's report, tourist traffic from China increased by 2.5 times compared to the same period last year in early 2024. 

Moscow and Saint Petersburg are two of the most popular tourist destinations among Chinese visitors. Together with their respective provinces, these two cities account for more than 57% of all tourism trips. In addition to the border regions like Primorsky Krai and the Amur region in the Far East, other popular locations include the Murmansk region in the north, the Irkutsk region of Siberia, and Tver in central Russia. 

According to statistics provided by the operator, Chinese tourists using WeChat when travelling in Russia generate the most internet traffic. WeChat combines features like a messenger, mobile banking, and social networking into one app. Each fourth gigabyte of traffic used by Chinese travelers is due to this app. The QQ messenger ranks second in popularity, accounting for approximately 5% of traffic. Baidu, a search engine, also ranks highly in terms of usage. In addition, Chinese tourists watched videos on TikTok while roaming in Russia and visited the online store Taobao. 

The second largest group of tourists was from the United Arab Emirates, with 24% of the total number of tourist arrivals, and their tourist flow to Russia has increased by 2.8 times compared to last year's numbers. 

Japan also ranks third, with a 31% increase in tourist traffic compared to the same month last year. Russian cities are also becoming more popular with Vietnamese tourists, with an 85% increase in visitors compared to the previous year. Additionally, there has been a 75% increase in the number of Iranian visitors since January 2024.